My garden has been 90% vegetables and 10% flowers. Last year, I planted zinnias in one of my raised beds, and they attracted a lot of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds enjoying the flowers. It was so fun and enjoyable to watch them up close that I decided to plant more flowers in 2025.
On top of the 9 metal raised beds, I added three more in the fenced-in garden area. One of the things I will try this year is introducing polyculture and see how it works. I usually plant one or two different vegetables in one bed, but I’ll incorporate flowers and companion plants.
Another thing I will be trying to grow herbs for teas, such as chamomile, anise hyssop, and lemon balm.
Here is what I am going to plant for the 2025 summer garden:
- Vegetables
- Tomato
- Egg plant
- Peppers (Serrano peppers, sweet peppers)
- Cucumbers
- Snap peas
- Bush beans
- Carrots (New Kuroda)
- Daikon radish
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Ginger
- Sweet potato
- Potato
- Asparagus
- Garlic
- Turmeric
- Flowers
- Chamomile (German, Roman)
- Nasturtium
- Lemon balm (Green, Limoncello)
- Anise hyssop
- Milkweed
- Black Eyed Susan
- Purple cone flower
- Milkweed
- Zinnia
- Cosmos
- Mexican sunflower
- Wild bergamot
- Fruits
- Raspberry
- Blueberry
- Others
- Martin house gourds
Some have been started indoors, some using the winter sowing method, and some already planted in ground such as peas and garlic. The last frost date is around April 15th in our zone (Zone 7B/8A), so I’ll be busy moving plants in and out especially for the less hardy summer vegetables.
What are you growing this year? Are you trying something new for your garden? Please share in the comments section!